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Al Hudson & the Soul Partners’ fine first album, which reminded me of Jay and the Techniques’ hits, combined sparse soul arrangements with Hudson’s airy, arresting vocals.
Ostensibly unsatisfied with the LP’s degree of commercial acceptance, however, the outfit has since been moving closer and closer to the pop mainstream with increasingly mediocre results. Hudson still sings well enough to make Spreading Love, the group’s third album, notable, but his vocals have by now taken a back seat to lush productions and a tedious, prosaic disco beat; and the songs here are much too lightweight and repetitive to justify their considerable length, except perhaps on the dance floor.
By Jeff Burger 